Barriers to Gene Flow in the Marine Environment: Insights from Two Common Intertidal Limpet Species of the Atlantic and Mediterranean

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

sa-pinto, a (Author) Other; branco, ms (Author) FCUP; alexandrino, pb (Author) FCUP; fontaine, mc (Author) Other; baird, sje (Author) Other

Journal

Title: PLoS ONE

Vol. 7 No. 4

ISSN: 1932-6203

Publisher: Public Library of Science

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 2 Citations

Scopus - 2 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-2D1

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050330

Abstract (EN): Knowledge of the scale of dispersal and the mechanisms governing gene flow in marine environments remains fragmentary despite being essential for understanding evolution of marine biota and to design management plans. We use the limpets Patella ulyssiponensis and Patella rustica as models for identifying factors affecting gene flow in marine organisms across the North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. A set of allozyme loci and a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome C oxidase subunit I were screened for genetic variation through starch gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing, respectively. An approach combining clustering algorithms with clinal analyses was used to test for the existence of barriers to gene flow and estimate their geographic location and abruptness. Sharp breaks in the genetic composition of individuals were observed in the transitions between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and across southern Italian shores. An additional break within the Atlantic cluster separates samples from the Alboran Sea and Atlantic African shores from those of the Iberian Atlantic shores. The geographic congruence of the genetic breaks detected in these two limpet species strongly supports the existence of transpecific barriers to gene flow in the Mediterranean Sea and Northeastern Atlantic. This leads to testable hypotheses regarding factors restricting gene flow across the study area. Citation: Sa-Pinto A, Branco MS, Alexandrino PB, Fontaine MC, Baird SJE (2012) Barriers to Gene Flow in the Marine Environment: Insights from Two Common Intertidal Limpet Species of the Atlantic and Mediterranean. PLoS ONE 7(12): e50330. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050330

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11